The New School for Drama presents Fen by Caryl Churchill, directed by Kai-Hsiang Tu, as part of Drama’s New Visions Directing Festival, October 4-12, October 18-26, and November 1-9. Five plays performed in repertory highlight the work of this year’s graduating directors and actors.

Fen exposes the harsh struggles of the women and landworkers of England’s Fen Country, as it delves into their private lives and dreams. At the center of the play is Val, who wants more than anything to escape from the life she and her family have known for generations. She decides to escape the Fens to start a new life with another man, leaving her husband and two daughters. However, she soon finds herself struggling with the emotional implications of following her desires and in the tragic position of having to choose between her children and her lover – neither of which she wants to live without.